Auburn Rec District wins MAC support to retain developer funds

Round One in a bid by Auburn Recreation District to hang on to $150,000 in developer fees that Placer County may spend elsewhere goes to the district.
Scott Holbrook, a parks district board member, led a delegation opposed to the county use of the funds at Tuesday’s meeting of the North Auburn Municipal Advisory Council.
The council voted to side with the district in an attempt to retain use of the fee funds within parks district boundaries rather than put them into expansion of the Hidden Falls Regional Park. The park is located outside the district’s boundaries, between Auburn and Lincoln.
Holbrook said he was heartened by the council’s vote to tell the county Parks Commission to not approve the Facility Services Department request.
Holbrook said he told the board that he understands that the funding from fees aren’t exclusively his parks district’s but that the ARD boundaries match the Meadow Vista-Auburn Recreation Area 5 borders and the funds were intended to address Area 5 residents’ needs.
The council’s recommendation will go to the Parks Commission for consideration with the departmental request for the $150,000. From there, it could go to the Board of Supervisors for possible approval.
– Gus Thomson